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If you’re in Europe this summer

Volvo says that beginning this summer, European leasing customers will be able to drive and evaluate an upgraded demo fleet of Volvo C30 fully electric cars.

Developed in partnership with Siemens, the cars boast a peak power output of 89 kW (120 hp) and a torque of 250 Nm. They can go from 0-70 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

The cars are also equipped with a 22 kW fast-charger that Volvo says is the world’s first on-board charger that operates on a three-phase supply and is small enough to be fitted in an electric car. Charging takes 1.5 hours for a total range of 164 km according to NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) certification. Charging with an ordinary single-phase 230 V household outlet takes 8-10 hours, depending on the available current.

Lennart Stegland, Volvo’s vice president of Electric Propulsion Systems, says that adding the fast-charging system “will radically improve the time and mileage for the daily usage of the car,” and “drastically improve the cost of ownership since the customer will now be able to drive many low cost kilometres per-day.”

Stegland adds that a quick 10-minute plug-in can add power for another 20 kM of driving. “By offering more usable hours a day, we’ve taken an important step towards making electric cars more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors.” Fuel costs are said to be as much as two-thirds less than that of a conventional car.

“Our aim is to be first with the latest technology within electrification,” Stegland says. “The new C30 Electric fleet will give us continuous feedback on technology and functionality as we approach a future series production.”

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John Day recently launched John Day’s Automotive Electronics News (johndayautomotivelectronics.com) to provide news and feature coverage of the automotive electronics industry. Earlier he wrote for Auto Electronics magazine, Auto E-lectronics, EE Times, and other business and engineering publications.
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